Bangkok (EFE).- At least 1,608 people have died in the severe flooding in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, as the latter added nearly 90 fatalities to its death toll on Friday.
The total number of deaths in Thailand now sits at 276, and authorities estimate that 4 million people have been affected by the severe weather, while numerous streets remain flooded in seven southern provinces.
Although the government has not published the total number of missing persons, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Thursday that 367 people have been reported missing in the country.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the country hardest hit by the convergence of three storms in South and Southeast Asia, the death toll rose to 846 on Friday, with 547 missing, nearly 2,700 injured, and around 3.5 million affected.
Emergency teams remain deployed in the Sumatran provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra to distribute food and provide medical care, while navigating obstacles such as flooded roads, collapsed bridges, and silt-covered paths.
In Sri Lanka, the morning count raised the death toll to 486 and lowered the number of missing to 341, according to official reports.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an international appeal for aid for the country, seeking $6.2 million to assist the affected population, estimated at 1.8 million people. On Friday, a forecast of rain threatens rescue and cleanup efforts in the affected areas.
More than 1.1 million people have been displaced to shelters and safer locations in these three countries, where the disaster has caused combined losses exceeding $12 billion.
Furthermore, Vietnam saw new flooding Thursday night in the central province of Lam Dong, where authorities estimate that nearly 2,000 homes were damaged by landslides, overflowing water, and fallen trees.
The tropical storm and typhoon season is proving particularly severe this year for these countries, and experts attribute the intensity to ocean warming, while their devastating impact is linked to deforestation and a lack of urban planning, among other factors. EFE
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